Administration of police agencies can be a complex task, requiring the management of officers with different roles and programs with different goals. Despite this, very little research has been conducted on police agency administration and performance, especially with regard to measures of quality.

To overcome this deficit, NIJ is creating a research infrastructure that will facilitate the study of multiple aspects of policing, such as job satisfaction, officer training and supervisory methods. NIJ's ultimate goal is to translate this knowledge into evidence-based practices that improve agency administration and performance.